How to ‘kill’ acrylic yarn

Beforekillbefore

Afterkillafter

I like Tunisian crochet. The downside of this technique is that it tends to curl at the bottom of the piece. Sometimes I like the look, with blankets, for example. But with some items, it’s just not very pleasing to the eye, or the functionality. I mean, who wants to use a dishtowel that’s all curled up?? Not me.

There are a lot of techniques out there for blocking your crochet pieces, mostly used with wool yarn. And there are also warnings about killing acrylic yarn. I actually love doing it. I think it really improves the overall softness of the yarn, and also the draping. But you do have to be careful. If you do it wrong, you risk ruining your crochet and also your iron.

Since acrylic is a synthetic fiber, it will not burn…it melts. So when using an iron on it, be sure to always have something between the iron and the acrylic crochet.

Here’s how I ‘kill’ acrylic yarn.

First, I turn on the iron. I set it to the lowest ‘steam’ setting. (see photo) We aren’t using steam though, so you don’t need any water in your iron for this.

Next, I wet a towel. You don’t want it dripping wet, but not damp either. I just run it under the faucet and then ring it out.

Lay your crocheted item on the ironing board in whatever shape it is supposed to be. Lay your wet towel on top of the crocheted item.

Now just iron the towel. It doesn’t take long, so just smush the iron on a section for a couple of seconds, then move on to another section. Seriously, don’t overdo it. You’ll see how quick the process is when you try it.